GUIDE TO THE THIRD YEAR 2015 ~ 2016

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1 GUIDE TO THE THIRD YEAR 2015 ~ 2016

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4 I. Introduction This Guide to the Third Year has been prepared by the Dean s Office with input from several offices on campus to provide information you may find useful in preparing for your third year and beyond. We hope it serves as a what to expect handbook. We welcome your comments on the Guide and any suggestions for future revisions. We hope that this Guide provides helpful information to you so that you may make fuller use of available opportunities at Richmond Law. II. Academic Planning for Your Third Year A. Coursework As you move into your third year, it is a good idea to confirm that you have met all your course requirements and are on track to graduate. 1. Graduation Requirements: a) 87 Credit Hours. You must have earned 87 credit hours to receive the JD degree. No more than 12 of these credits may be earned in clinical courses. No more than 4 credits may be earned as a research assistant. b) All First Year Courses. You must have earned a passing grade in each of the courses required in the first year of law school (i.e. Civil Procedure, Contracts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Property, Leg/Reg, Torts, Law Skills I and II). c) Professional Responsibility d) Law Skills III. See skills.html e) Law Skills IV. This may be satisfied by any of the courses designated by the Registrar as satisfying Law Skills IV, including: Appellate Advocacy, Contract Drafting, Corporate Fraud & Litigation, Environmental Lawyering, and Pre-Trial Drafting. For more information see: skills.html f) Upper Level Writing Requirement (ULWR). This may be satisfied in one of three ways: i. ULWR Seminars. Seminars that fulfill the ULWR provide an opportunity to work closely with a faculty member in a limited IMPORTANT DATES January 12, 2015 Begin add/drop period, Classes begin January 13, 2015 Begin late payment fee January 16, 2015 End no fee add/drop period 5 p.m. January 17, 2015 Begin fee course change period January 26, 2015 End audit option, 5 p.m. January 26, 2015 End add/late registration 5 p.m. January 30, 2015 End no-record drop period 5 p.m. February 27, 2015 Last day to withdraw from class March 6, 2015 Begin spring break (after class) March 19, 2015 Begin registration for summer April 14-16, 2015 Fall Registration April 21-22, 2015 Spring Registration April 24, 2015 Last day of spring classes April 27-May 8, 2015 Spring term exams May 9, 2015 Commencement August 24, 2015 Fall classes begin September 25, 2015 Last day to file for May or August graduation October 12-13, L and 3L Fall Break 4

5 enrollment class, receive extensive feedback on their writing, and ultimately submit an extensive paper of scholarly quality. The requirement is described in detail in the online catalog at: law.richmond.edu/academics/courses.html. Courses that satisfy the ULWR are designated as such in the course schedule and in the list of course descriptions. ii. Independent Research. Students may also fulfill the ULWR by undertaking a two-credit or three-credit Independent Research course. The course entails independent research under the supervision of a full-time faculty member, resulting in an extensive paper on a selected topic. The topic must be approved in writing by the instructor under whose supervision the research is conducted. There is a limit of three credit hours total permitted for Independent Research projects. Registration for Independent Research must be done through the Dean s Office, with prior permission from both the supervising faculty member and the Associate Dean. iii. Law Review article. A student may satisfy the ULWR by having an article (not merely a student Comment) published in a law journal of an ABA-accredited law school. For a published article to satisfy the ULWR, it must he reviewed and certified by a full-time faculty member as meeting the requirements for the ULWR g) Final Grade Point Average of At the completion of all other degree requirements, a student must have a minimum GPA of 2.20 in law school course work for the JD degree to be confirmed. IMPORTANT DATES, CONT D. November 24, 2015 Begin Thanksgiving Break Following Last Tues day Class December 4, 2015 Last day of Fall classes December 7-18, 2015 Fall Term Exams December 19, 2015 Begin Winter Break after Final Exam 2. Course Audits You can conduct a course audit by going to GradTracker (located in BannerWeb under Student Services Tab). GradTracker allows students to review course history, check progress toward graduation, and plan future courses. Any transfer work or grade changes that have not been formally submitted and accepted will not appear on your audit. 3. Third Year Practice Certification After completing 56 credit hours, you may obtain a third-year practice certificate which allows you to appear before local courts and administrative agencies under the supervision of a licensed attorney. You may be required to 5

6 get a third-year practice certificate for a clinic or clinical placement. Even if you aren t required to get one, you may want to secure one before you graduate because you may be able to use it after graduation. The certificate remains in effect for 18 months after it is filed with the Executive Director of the Virginia State Bar OR until the announcements of results of the first bar exam following the student s graduation, whichever date is earlier. You should consult the Rules of the Court, Pt. 6, IV, 15 for details concerning the terms and requirements for use of a third-year practice certificate. To obtain the third-year practice certificate please notify Susan Sheppard in the Dean s Office that you believe you have met the required criteria - i.e., have earned 56 credit hours, have taken a procedure course: Virginia Procedure, Civil or Criminal; Evidence, Criminal Law and Professional Responsibility. She will prepare the request letter for the Virginia Bar and notify you when the certificate has been received. If you will need a third-year practice certificate from another state, please furnish the Dean s Office with the necessary documentation. 4. Course Selection For Your Third Year The Registrar s Office will publish the upper class Course Schedule in early April. Registration for Fall 15 will begin on April 14 for rising 3L students, and on April 15 for rising 2L students. Registration for Spring 16 will begin on April 21 for 3L students, and on April 22 for 2L students. We urge you to spend the weeks before registration thinking broadly about the course selection for your second year and beyond. You should plan to set aside time in March and April to review the course offerings for next year and to meet with an academic advisor to discuss your curriculum interests, including how to draw connections between your academic interests and your career goals. COURSE SELECTION RESOURCE GUIDE Course Schedule Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 (Descriptions Included) law.richmond.edu/academics Exam Schedule Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 law.richmond.edu/academics Academic Calendar calendar/index.html Course of Study index.html Course Evaluations There are a number of tools you will want to explore when reviewing the Course Schedule in April. Richmond Law s online catalog contains a full list of courses and course descriptions for the upper level curriculum. It also contains suggested Courses of Study in 13 popular areas of practice along with brief essays describing Richmond Law s curriculum in those fields of study. 6

7 B. Clinics In addition, you will find a listing of courses, seminars, and clinical opportunities associated with each field of study and, in many areas, a recommended sequence of courses. Course evaluations provided by the Law School are also available. The University of Richmond offers two types of clinical experiences - in-house clinics and the Clinical Placement Program (CPP). The in-house clinics are taught by fulltime faculty members who supervise students working on cases and clinic members. The in-house clinics operate like a boutique law firm situated within the law school. In the CPP program, which is directed by a full-time faculty member, students are placed with practicing lawyers and judges in the community who serve as field supervisors. In-House Clinics: The Law School offers four graded in-house clinical opportunities in the fall semester and five in the spring semester to students in their second or third years. All in-house clinics have weekly classroom components, and all require at least weekly meetings with the faculty member who is the supervising attorney. Approximately 72 students can participate per year in these clinical experiences that range from two credit to six credit hours per semester. All clinics provide semester-long experiences. While all in-house clinics accept second year students, preference in enrollment is given to those in their third year. In addition, students who have met the requirements for a third year practice certificate (see below) have greater opportunities in those clinics where courtroom experience is highlighted. IN-HOUSE CLINICS POINTS OF CONTACT Children s Defense Clinic Professor Julie McConnell at jmcconne@richmond.edu Education Rights Clinic Professor Adrienne Volenik at avolenik@richmond.edu The Institute for Actual Innocence Clinic Professor Mary Tate at mtate@richmond.edu Jeanette Lipman Family Law Clinic Assoc Professor Dale Cecka at dmargoli@richmond.edu Intellectual Property & Transactional Law Clinic Asst Clinical Professor Ashley Dobbs begins July 1, 2015 Clinics Offered: Children s Defense Clinic The Children s Defense Clinic is a semester-long clinic. It gives students an opportunity to represent children charged in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court with acts of delinquency and truancy. Students will learn the nuts and bolts of criminal representation, including in- and out-of-court advocacy, client interviewing, negotiating, drafting and filing court documents, investigation and legal writing and research. Many of the principles applied in juvenile representation apply equally in the representation of adults; therefore, the clinic is an excellent introduction into all aspects of the practice of criminal law. 7

8 Education Rights Clinic The Education Rights Clinic represents families of children with special needs involved in disputes with school systems over the provision of educational services as well as children who are appealing their long-term suspensions or expulsions. In addition to providing representation in administrative hearings and appeals to court, students routinely negotiate Individual Education Programs for children. While the clinic gives preference to third year students, it is an excellent experience for second year students who can participate in administrative law hearings. The clinic gives preference to third year students. The Wrongful Convictions Clinic - The Wrongful Convictions Clinic is part of the law school s Institute for Actual Innocence. It is a 2-credit, graded course offered in the spring. Students enrolled in the clinic work on cases in Virginia where there is credible evidence that a convicted person may be innocent. They are immersed in trial, appellate, and post-conviction proceedings at the same time that they explore the causes of wrongful convictions. The clinic gives preference to applicants who have participated in the Wrongful Convictions Seminar held in the fall semester. Intellectual Property & Transactional Law Clinic - Intellectual Property & Transactional Law Clinic students represent entrepreneurs seeking to start businesses; assist existing business and nonprofit organizations with contracting, licensing, and similar transactional needs. As part of the IP Certificate core curriculum, clinic cases offer a strong IP focus including aiding companies to acquire or assign intellectual property rights. The clinic gives preference to third year students. Jeanette Lipman Family Law Clinic - Students enrolled in the Jeanette Lipman Family Law Clinic represent families and children on matters of abuse and neglect, divorce, custody, public benefits, housing, and domestic violence. Students participate in all aspects of legal representation, including in and out-of-court advocacy, client interviewing, drafting and filing court documents, and legal writing and research. Students need to complete the Family Law course before or while participating in the clinic. A multidisciplinary collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University ( VCU ), the clinic is also staffed by graduate students and faculty from VCU's School of Social Work and Department of Psychology, who help the legal team provide a broad spectrum of services to clients. The clinic gives preference to third year students. 8

9 Clinical Placement Program ( CPP ): In the CPP, students are assigned to work with trial and appellate judges; state and federal prosecutors; public defenders; lawyers working in the areas of civil litigation, public policy, and legislative advocacy; and inhouse counsel for national and international corporations (spring semester only). Students who are accepted into this program during the regular academic year will work 16, 20, or 24 hours a week at the placement for five, six, or seven pass/fail credits, respectively, throughout the fourteen-week semester. In addition, students are required to attend a Wednesday night classroom component which meets from 6:00 7:40 P.M.; submit weekly reflective journals and time sheets; and meet every other week with their professor. Both midterm and final evaluations of the student s performance are conducted. Students are also required to complete a final evaluation of the CPP addressing all aspects of their learning experiences at the conclusion of the semester. Typically, thirty-two to forty students are accepted into the program. They are generally divided into the following classroom sections of eight: civil; criminal; judicial; litigation; and in-house counsel (spring only). If there is sufficient interest, a family/children law section may be offered during the fall semester. Eight-Week Summer Clinical Placement Program: The CPP is also offered during the eight-week summer school session. Eight students are accepted into the program. They are typically assigned to civil, criminal, and judicial placements. Not all placements are available in the summer. Students work 32 hours a week at the placement for five pass/fail credits. The placements run for seven weeks with the eighth week (exam week) devoted to completing the final evaluation. All other program requirements are the same, except the classroom component is offered on Tuesday nights. The CPP typically gives priority to third year students and those who have not previously had a placement. A third year practice certificate is required for all criminal placements and certain civil placements where the student will be appearing in court. (See below.) Evidence is required for certain placements. For more information about the program and its requirements, as well as descriptions of all the placements, please review the Clinical Placement Program Student Manual. Electronic copies can be obtained from Jessie Munn, Administrative Assistant, at jmunn@richmond.edu. Hard copies are on reserve in the law library. CLINICAL PLACEMENT PROGRAM POINT OF CONTACT Professor Margaret Bacigal at mbacigal@richmond.edu 9

10 London Clinical Placement Program: A five-week summer London Clinical Placement Program ( LCPP ) is also offered for rising second and third year law students. It is designed to help students integrate legal theory with practice and to provide them with the opportunity to compare different legal systems. Students are placed with barristers, solicitors, and members of Parliament and work thirty-two hours a week, Monday through Thursday. Placements typically include private law firms, public interest organizations, law centres, and MP s constituent and Parliament Offices. The course is offered for four pass/fail credits. Any student interested in participating in the program must submit a written application and interview with Professor Margaret Bacigal. The purpose of the application process is to identify the student s learning goals and qualifications. Once a student is accepted into the program, Professor Bacigal will work with Anglo Educational Services ( Anglo ) and the placements to assign students. III. Finances A. Financial Aid For Detailed information regarding financial aid for can be found at 1. Scholarships: If you received a scholarship your first year, you will continue to receive it in subsequent years as long as you continue to meet all eligibility requirements. Note that scholarships are available to law students through their sixth term of enrollment (prorated for transfer students), excluding summer term. 2. Loans: Students must re-apply for loans and Federal Work-Study each year. You will need to submit the following forms: a. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at by the University s May 15, 2015 deadline. (The deadline for financial aid for summer 2015 is earlier.) b. Submit the University of Richmond Academic Year Federal Direct Loan application available at at least six weeks prior to the start of the fall term. (The deadline for financial aid for summer 2015 is earlier.) 10

11 How much can I borrow? You may borrow up to the Cost of Attendance minus any other aid you are receiving. Cost of Attendance information is at The annual loan limit for Direct Unsubsidized Loans is $20,500 for law students. Amounts borrowed for summer session will reduce borrowing capacity from this program for the following academic year. The Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan provides additional loan funding to assist with academic year costs. The Direct Grad PLUS Loan is a credit-based loan. Students are encouraged to review their credit reports and resolve any issues immediately. Students who are denied the Direct Grad PLUS Loan will receive information about the reason(s) for the credit denial. You may appeal the decision or apply with an endorser, or cosigner. Private, credit-based loans are also available. However, we strongly encourage students to borrow from the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan programs rather than from a private lender as loan terms are usually better, and a poor credit history can prevent a student from obtaining these loans, even with a co-signer. If you are thinking about using a private credit based loan to finance your education, we encourage you to speak with a financial aid advisor first. When will I be notified of my aid for ? Aid will be posted to BannerWeb, and notifications will be sent to returning students by the end of June, assuming that the FAFSA is submitted by the deadline. When will my aid disburse? Aid for Fall 2015 will disburse on August 19, 2015 as long as all eligibility requirements are met. Aid for Spring 2016 will disburse on January 6, If your financial aid exceeds your billable charges, you will have a credit balance. Students will receive a refund for the credit balance, from the Bursar s Office, within 7-10 business days of disbursement. Refunds will be issued by Direct Deposit or by check. Students should contact the Bursar s Office ( or ) regarding the refund process and/or if they wish to sign up for Direct Deposit. 11

12 Is there an installment plan? An installment plan is offered by the Bursar s Office for Fall and Spring term charges only. The plan offers payment schedules of equal payments over the academic year or semester. Additional information can be found at tuition/pay/plan.html. Loans For Summer 2015: Loans are available for summer study, including the London Clinical Placement Program and the Cambridge program. If you want to borrow loans for Summer 2015, you must submit the FAFSA ( at least six weeks prior to the start of your summer session. If you submit the FAFSA closer to the beginning of term, your summer loan may not be available by the start of your summer school session. B. Financial Management for Law Students 1. Exit Counseling Students who have borrowed Federal Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and/or Grad PLUS loans are required to complete exit counseling before leaving the University. Information about exit counseling will be sent electronically to you in advance of your graduation. You are strongly encouraged to complete your exit counseling online. The online session will provide your information about your rights and responsibilities as federal loan borrowers. The counseling will provide your total federal loan indebtedness, estimated repayment information, and servicer information. Additional exit counseling is required for Federal Perkins borrowers which also may be completed online. During the spring semester, a representative from financial aid will conduct a group session regarding loan repayment. Additional information is available online at financialaid.richmond.edu/law/loans.html. Students who have additional questions may schedule an appointment with David Curtis, Assistant Director, Office of Financial Aid, by ing him at jcurtis2@richmond.edu or by calling (804)

13 2. Loan Servicers Federal Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and/or Grad PLUS loans are serviced by different federal loan servicers. Direct Loans for a student will be assigned to one servicer. Students will work with their servicers for payments, for deferment or forbearance requests, and other issues related to their federal student loans. While in school, students receive routine updates and mailings, including interest statements, from their servicers. Students can also determine their servicers by accessing their student loan history at the National Student Loan Data System ( Campus Partners, located in Winston Salem, NC, is the University of Richmond s Federal Perkins Loan servicer. Students who borrowed a Federal Perkins loan while at Richmond can access their account information at or by calling Repayment Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans have an automatic six month grace period before repayment begins. Students who borrow a Federal Direct Grad PLUS loan may request to delay repayment for six months. Federal Perkins Loans have a nine month grace period. Private loans may have a six to nine month grace period, depending on the loan terms. The grace period begins based on the last day of at least half time enrollment. For most students, this will be the last day of the semester. Federal Direct Loans have a number of repayment plans which to meet different needs. Repayment plans may range from 10 to 25 years. The repayment plans are: Standard Repayment: a 10 year repayment plan, where borrowers will make a fixed payment for up to 10 years. Monthly payments will vary based on loan debt but will be at least $50. Extended Repayment: for borrowers with at least $30,000 in outstanding Direct Loans, a repayment plan which offers fixed or graduated payments of up to 25 years. Graduated Repayment: a 10 year repayment plan, with payments starting at one level and increasing every two years. Income Based Repayment (IBR): a repayment plan based on the following calculation: If your monthly payment under a standard 10 year repayment plan is more than 15% of your discretionary income (defined as the difference between your 13

14 Adjusted Gross Income and 150% of the poverty level based on family size and location), then you pay only 15% of your discretionary income. Students must apply for the IBR plan and submit annual income information. Students may apply for IBR online at If a borrower is in this plan for 25 years and meets other requirements, the remaining loan balance may be cancelled. This debt cancellation has IRS tax implications. Additional information can be found at Pay As You Earn Repayment (PAYE): a repayment plan based on the following calculation: If your monthly payment under a standard 10 year repayment plan is more than 10% of your discretionary income (defined as the difference between your Adjusted Gross Income and 150% of the poverty level based on family size and location), then you pay only 10% of your discretionary income. In order to qualify for this plan, a student must have no federal student loan debt prior to October 1, 2007 and receive a new disbursement on or after October 1, Students must apply for the Pay As You Earn plan and submit annual income information. Students may apply for Pay As You Earn online at If a borrower is in this plan for 20 years and meets other requirements, the remaining loan balance may be cancelled. This debt cancellation has IRS tax implications. Additional information can be found at Income Contingent Repayment (ICR): a repayment plan that allows qualifying students to pay the lesser of (1) payments that would be made under a standard 12- year repayment plan or (2) 20% of your discretionary income (defined as the difference between your Adjusted Gross Income and the poverty level based on family size and location.) Students must apply for ICR and submit annual income information. If a borrower is in this plan for 25 years and meets other requirements, the remaining loan balance may be cancelled. This debt cancellation has IRS tax implications. Additional information can be found at repay-loans/understand/plans/income-contingent. IBR, PAYE and ICR are complicated plans with very specific requirements and qualifications. Students can access an online Repayment Estimator at Students with specific questions about repayment can contact David Curtis in the Financial Aid office at or at jcurtis2@richmond.edu. 14

15 B. Federal Perkins Loan The University of Richmond is the lender for Federal Perkins Loans received while attending Richmond. Payments will begin nine months after a borrower is no longer enrolled at least half time. Payments will be at least $40 a month; however, this amount may be larger, depending on the total amount borrowed. The fixed interest rate is 5%. There are various cancellation provisions associated with the Federal Perkins Loan. Additional information about these may be found at cancellation.htm. Payments for a Federal Perkins loan will be made to Campus Partners, our servicer. Students may contact Campus Partners at by calling , or by writing: Campus Partners, PO Box 2901, Winston-Salem, NC Federal Perkins Loans do not quality for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Borrowers may consolidate their Federal Perkins Loan into a Direct Consolidation Loan which would then be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. (See item 4 about Public Service Loan Forgiveness and item 5 about Consolidation.) C. Private Loans Repayment for private loans will be based on the terms and conditions of the promissory note. Typically, payments are made on a monthly basis. Payments may be fixed or may vary, depending on if the interest rate is fixed or variable. Borrowers are encouraged to contact their private lender for additional details about repayment. 4. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) If you decide to enter public service, you would be eligible to apply for forgiveness of any outstanding Direct Loan balance after making 120 qualifying payments. Qualifying payments are those made under Income Based Repayment, Income Contingent Repayment, the Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan, the Standard Repayment Plan, or any other repayment plan where your monthly payment amount equals or exceeds what you would pay under a 10-year Standard Repayment Plan. Public service employment consists of: government (federal, state, tribal, and local) employment; a non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; a tribal college or university; a private organization that provides certain public services; and a public child or family service agency. 15

16 PSLF is only for Direct Loans. FFEL loans and Federal Perkins loans do not qualify for PSLF. However, if you have FFEL loans and/or Federal Perkins loans, you can consolidate them with the Direct Loan program when you enter repayment. These loans would then qualify for PSLF. This is one of the many reasons why we strongly urge you not to take out private loans. Private loans cannot be consolidated through the Direct Loan Program and are not eligible for PSLF. Additional information about PSLF may be found at 5. Federal Direct Consolidation Loans A Federal Direct Consolidation Loan allows borrowers who have multiple federal student loans to borrow a new federal student loan to pay off existing loans. Students determine which federal loans to include in the consolidation. Students may extend repayment to up to 30 years. The interest rate for the federal consolidation loan is determined by a weighted average of the interest rates for the loans being consolidated, rounded to the nearest eighth. Normally, Federal Direct Consolidation Loans enter repayment within 60 days of consolidation. Students can maximize their use of their 6 month grace period for federal Direct Loans by entering their grace period end date on the consolidation application. This will delay the processing of their federal consolidation application. Students can determine their grace period end date by contacting their servicer. Additional information about Federal Direct Consolidation Loans can be found at Students may apply online at Law School is a financial investment. Through careful planning, you can manage this investment. IV. Career Development Office A. Bridge to Practice Fellowships Created thanks to the generosity of our alumni, the Bridge to Practice Fellowships provide a four-month funded fellowship for graduates who intend to pursue careers in 16

17 the public sector. The fellowship creators recognize that government and public interest organizations typically cannot hire new attorneys before they have been admitted to the bar. However, in Virginia and many other states, graduates have to wait several months before bar results are announced. The fellowships allow graduates to take an unpaid position and gain critical experience and contacts. The fellowships pay $2000 a month for a maximum of four months. For 2015, a maximum of 10 Bridge to Practice Fellowships will be funded. B. Career Advising and Programming As you enter your third year of law school, the Career Development Office (CDO) will continue to partner with you to attain your career and professional development goals. During the summer before your third year, you should reassess these goals and make an appointment with your career advisor to discuss them. Your advisor can help you incorporate what you have learned throughout your second year of school and second summer experience into your search strategy. Richmond Law graduates secure post-graduate positions with support from the CDO through various means. Some post-graduate positions result from offers made following the student s second-year summer experience. If you are spending your second summer with a large law firm, the firm may make offers for entry-level attorney positions during the late summer or early fall of your third year. A small number of third-year students secure post-graduate positions through on-campus recruiting, as opportunities for 3Ls during these programs are limited. Some 3Ls secure positions through applications submitted via Symplicity or other job postings websites. Most find jobs through relationship-building efforts. Your career advisor will work with you to develop applications to prospective employers of all types. Here are a few things about the timing of the employment search process to consider. During your third year, you will need to finalize your decision about where you will take the bar examination. You must make this decision with your post-graduate plans in mind, even if you have not secured a position yet, as this decision is a signal to prospective employers regarding your interest in their geographic area. As a result of the collapse of the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan, the application process for postgraduate judicial clerkships now begins as early as the summer following your 1L year and will continue into fall semester of your 3L year. See the CDO s judicial clerkship advisor, Valerie L Herrou, for more information. Applications for some federal 17

18 government agencies and post-graduate public interest fellowships should be submitted during the fall semester of your third year. Many other employers hire on an as-needed basis, which means they will hire for the following fall only when they determine their workload is sufficient to require additional staff. For some types of positions, this may mean that hiring will occur after bar examination results are released. When you secure post-graduate employment, please report this information to the CDO. Knowing who already has secured employment and with which employers will allow us to focus our efforts on those students needing our assistance and better plan our employer outreach efforts. If you have not provided this information already, during spring semester of your third year, we will request details regarding your postgraduate plans through completion of the Graduate Survey. Our alumni advisor, Liz Jones, will continue to reach out to you on a regular basis for the first year following your graduation from the law school. C. Reporting Employment Information As required, we will report your post-graduate plans, in the aggregate, to the American Bar Association (ABA), our accrediting agency, U.S. News & World Reports, who includes employment information as a major factor in its annual rankings, and the National Association for Legal Career Professionals, an organization for legal recruiters and law school career services professionals, that compiles and analyzes employment outcomes for law graduates. In accordance with current reporting methodology, graduates whose status is unknown are counted as unemployed for rankings purposes. Further, as you may know, in addition to impacting the reputation and annual ranking of the law school, information about graduate employment prospects is of significant interest to current and prospective students. D. Alumni Services The CDO and it s resources, including one-on-one advising, will be available to you after graduation. Please allow the CDO to support your efforts as you secure your first post-graduate position and make subsequent career transitions. 18

19 V. Graduation A. Graduation Application During your final year, the University will require that you submit an application to graduate. This coming year, the deadline is September 26, 2015 for both December and May graduates. Please contact Kristen Ball in the registrar s office if you have any questions. B. Regalia Distribution In January 2016, you will order your regalia online. An will go out with instructions during the fall semester. Regalia will be distributed during a two-hour time period in March/April You will receive your doctoral hood just before you receive your diploma at the graduation ceremony. C. Graduating In Absentia Next year s commencement ceremony is scheduled for May 7, 2016 at 2 p.m. If circumstances prevent your attendance, you must submit a request to graduate in absentia with the registrar s office prior to the ceremony (registrar.richmond.edu). D. Graduating with Honors At the end of law school study, students who attain in the range of the following cumulative grade point averages are eligible to graduate with the designated honors: 3.80 to 4.00, summa cum laude; 3.60 to 3.79, magna cum laude; 3.40 to 3.59, cum laude. E. Order of the Coif Students who achieve a class rank in the top ten percent of the graduating class and who have completed at least 75% of coursework at the University of Richmond School of Law will be offered membership to the University of Richmond School of Law Order of the Coif. Certificates will be distributed after final grades have been submitted. 19

20 F. The Ceremony VI. The Bar The Law School holds one graduation ceremony each year in May. Next year s ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 7, Both December and May graduates participate in this ceremony. Prior to the start of the event at 2 p.m., we ask that all graduating students arrive early for a class photo. There is no limit on the number of guests you can bring with you and no tickets are required. In the spring, you will receive several s providing graduation information as well as a link to the Commencement website. For a comprehensive discussion of issues related to admission to the bar, please see the University of Richmond Bar Information Handbook, available in hard copy in the Dean s Office or from Professor Emmeline Reeves, or on line at law.richmond.edu/academics/pdf/bar-handbook.pdf. A. Which Bar Exam Should You Take? For most legal jobs, the attorney must be licensed in the state in which he/she is practicing law. Thus, if you have accepted a job requiring admission to the bar, you naturally will sit for the bar exam in the state in which you will be practicing. If you will be clerking for a judge or working for the federal government, you may not be required to take the bar exam in the state in which you are working initially. Please discuss this issue with your employer. If you have a job that does not require admission in a particular jurisdiction, or if you have not yet secured employment, you should think carefully about where you would like to take the bar. Consider where you would like to have a career and live long-term, as well as where you feel like you have the best prospects for finding employment. This decision is a very personal one and is very much dependent on your individual circumstances, and accordingly, we strongly recommend that you meet with Professor Reeves and/or an advisor in the Career Development Office. Nevertheless, some suggestions apply universally: Taking the bar exam is a very significant undertaking, in terms of time, money and energy. Therefore, while it is certainly possible to take multiple bar exams during successive administrations, we recommend that you give considerable thought to where you would like to live and practice and minimize the likelihood that you will have to take several bar exams. If, for example, you truly want to live in another state long-term, avoid the temptation to take the 20

21 Virginia bar exam simply because you are already here. Additionally, if you have registered for a bar review course in particular state, it may be possible to transfer your registration to another state. Generally an applicant cannot take more than one bar exam during a given administration; however, it is possible to take two states bar exams concurrently in a few states, most commonly New York and a neighboring state. This requires three days of testing (one day for each state s exam and one day for the multistate exam). The New York Bar s website includes information on taking a concurrent bar exam with another jurisdiction. Visit for more information. Check the reciprocity rules for states that you are interested in. Although each state has different rules, many states allow an attorney who passed the bar in another state to waive in, as referred to as admission on motion, without taking another bar exam. Most jurisdictions require an attorney to have practiced law for a period of time, most commonly five years, before s/he is eligible to waive in. Not all states, however, share reciprocity. For example, North Caroline will not permit Virginia lawyers to waive in to the North Carolina bar, and vice versa. A few states, such as New Jersey and Florida, have no procedure for admission on motion. If you want to practice law in one of those states, you must pass its bar exam. On the other hand, Washington, D.C. accepts reciprocity from every state. Thus, if you intend to practice in D.C., you likely should take another state s bar, and you will be eligible to waive into D.C. when you pass. To research admission on motion requirements in particular jurisdictions, you should start by reviewing the National Conference of Bar Examiners Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admissions Requirements, available at Also check the state s bar admission authority s detailed requirements, which are generally available on their websites. B. Bar Admissions Requirements Most jurisdictions require the following for admission to the bar: (1) Character and Fitness Investigation, (2) Bar Examination, and (3) Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) More detailed information on each of these requirements follows. 21

22 SPECIAL NOTE: New York State s Pro Bono Requirement: Pro Bono Requirement for Bar Admission Fifty-hour pro bono requirement. Every applicant admitted to the New York State bar on or after January 1, 2015, other than applicants for admission without examination pursuant to section of this Part, shall complete at least 50 hours of qualifying pro bono service prior to filing an application for admission with the appropriate Appellate Division department of the Supreme Court. Pro bono service defined. For purposes of this section, pro bono service is supervised pre-admission law-related work that: assists in the provision of legal services without charge for (i) persons of limited means; (ii) not-for-profit organizations; or (iii) individuals, groups or organizations seeking to secure or promote access to justice, including, but not limited to, the protection of civil rights, civil liberties or public rights; assists in the provision of legal assistance in public service for a judicial, legislative, executive or other governmental entity; or provides legal services pursuant to subdivisions two and three of section 484 of the Judiciary Law, or pursuant to equivalent legal authority in the jurisdiction where the services are performed. Supervision required. All qualifying pre-admission pro bono work must be performed under the supervision of: a member of a law school faculty, including adjunct faculty, or an instructor employed by a law school; an attorney admitted to practice and in good standing in the jurisdiction where the work is performed; or in the case of a clerkship or externship in a court system, by a judge or attorney employed by the court system. Location of pro bono service. The 50 hours of pro bono service, or any portion thereof, may be completed in any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any foreign country. Timing of pro bono service. The 50 hours of pro bono service may be performed at any time after the commencement of the applicant's legal studies and prior to filing an application for admission to the New York State bar. Proof required. Every applicant for admission shall file with the appropriate Appellate Division department an Affidavit of Compliance with the Pro Bono Requirement, describing the nature and dates of pro bono service and the number of hours completed. The Affidavit of Compliance shall include a certification by the supervising attorney or judge confirming the applicant's pro bono activities. For each position used to satisfy the 50-hour requirement, the applicant shall file a separate Affidavit of Compliance. 22

23 Prohibition on political activities. An applicant may not satisfy any part of the 50- hour requirement by participating in partisan political activities. C. Filing Deadlines The bar examination is administered twice per year in February and July typically on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of the month. You must register in advance to take the bar exam. Registration, or filing, deadlines vary significantly between different states. The first step in the bar admission process is to check the filing deadlines for the state(s) in which you are interested in being licensed to practice law. Some states have a single filing deadline, and other states have both an early and a late filing deadline, typically associated with an increased filing fee. Please note that a few states have surprisingly early absolute deadlines. For example, the filing deadlines for the February and July bar exams in Alabama are October 1 and February 1, respectively. As of publication of this Guide the exact deadlines for registration for the February and July 2016 bar exams have not been released, however, the approximate filing deadlines in some of the states in which Richmond graduates frequently sit for the bar exam are: Virginia: February bar exam: December 15, 2015 July bar exam: May 11, 2016 Note: These are absolute deadlines. No late filings permitted. Maryland: February bar exam: Early filing mid-september 2015; Late filing mid- December 2015 July bar exam: Early filing mid-january 2016; Late filing mid-may 2016 North Carolina February bar exam: Early filing early October 2015; Late filing early November 2015 July bar exam: Early filing early January 2016; Late filing early March

24 New York: February bar exam: late November 2015 July bar exam: late April 2016 Note: These are absolute deadlines. No late filings permitted. To check filing deadlines in other jurisdictions, check your state s bar examining authority s website. The website of the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NBBC), provides links to all jurisdictions individual websites. From click on Bar Admission Services, then under Bar Admissions Offices, select your jurisdiction. You can also find links to all states bar examining authority websites at IMPORTANT DATES March 28, August 15 & November 7, 2015 MPRE administration dates MPRE Link: Please pay careful attention to the jurisdiction s rules regarding timely filing. In Virginia, for example, the application generally must be actually received by the filing deadline, with a few narrowly defined and strictly enforced exceptions. D. Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) is intended to measure the examinee s knowledge and understanding of established standards related to a lawyer s professional conduct. The MPRE consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, and the exam is two hours and five minutes. For more detailed information on the MPRE, visit Nearly all jurisdictions require applicants to achieve a passing score on the MPRE, although the passing score varies in different jurisdictions. Notably, Maryland does not require the MPRE. The MPRE is separately administered from the bar examination and it is offered three times per year (typically in March, August and November). The 2015 test dates are March 28, 2015, August 15, 2015, and November 7, You may register for the MPRE on line by following a link from the National Conference of Bar Examiners website, Most jurisdictions allow students to take the MPRE during the second year of law school. Virginia requires applicants to pass the MPRE within two years of passing the Virginia bar exam. 24

25 E. Character and Fitness Investigation The character and fitness questionnaire typically is very lengthy, and filling it out is often very time consuming. Additionally, you may need to track down information that you do not already have. Accordingly, we recommend beginning the process of completing your character and fitness forms several weeks before they are due. For more detailed information about the types of information required to complete character and fitness forms, please see the Bar Information Handbook. It is extremely important to answer all character and fitness questions completely and honestly. The Virginia bar examiners give the following instruction on the Character and Fitness Questionnaire: You must answer each question on this questionnaire fully and truthfully. Any omission, untruthful answer, or incomplete answer may result in your being denied the privilege of taking the Virginia Bar Examination and practicing law in Virginia. Failure to disclose relevant information may have more detrimental consequences than would have resulted from proper disclosure of the underlying matter. Applicants must also be certain to update character and fitness information, if additional relevant events occur after filing. Additionally, as part of the character and fitness investigation, the bar examiners will, among other things, review your law school application. If there is a possibility that you failed to disclose any misconduct on your application, please contact the Admissions Office at your earliest convenience to amend your application. It also is a good practice to keep the law school informed of any misconduct during your tenure as a law student. F. State Bar Examiner Visit In late March or early April, a member of the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners will come to the law school to discuss the bar exam, including how it is graded and strategies for effectively answering bar exam questions. Please be sure to attend this very useful program. Details of this visit will be posted in The Docket. G. Bar Exam Preparation 1. Law School Offerings 25